How do I find a good instructor?

Hi all,

I'm mostly self taught and I do ok (can ski Blacks but not with much style) but I would like to improve.

My problem is I have heard too many times (ok probably only two or three) of people having lessons and saying that they didn't really learn anything. The comments are usually "lean forward and bend your knees and thats it.

I firmly believe that there is some excellent instruction out there, I can tell that by just reading this forum (Trencher and Pavelski) and looking on youtube (Mairklaus and Warren Smith), but I don't want to pay someone to tell me to lean forward.

I am going with family and friends to Montchavin Les Coches, part of the La Plagne area in February and would like some good lessons.

Any ideas?

Mike

Book a private lesson with an English, English speaking instructor and tell him what you want from his time! If you can get someone to rec. an instructor even better. Private lessons are the way forward as generally in a group lesson you don;t get much time spent on "you".

Check out Snowgurus

http://www.snowgurus.com/

Mike3000 wrote:Hi all,

I'm mostly self taught and I do ok (can ski Blacks but not with much style) but I would like to improve.

My problem is I have heard too many times (ok probably only two or three) of people having lessons and saying that they didn't really learn anything. The comments are usually "lean forward and bend your knees and thats it.

I firmly believe that there is some excellent instruction out there, I can tell that by just reading this forum (Trencher and Pavelski) and looking on youtube (Mairklaus and Warren Smith), but I don't want to pay someone to tell me to lean forward.

I am going with family and friends to Montchavin Les Coches, part of the La Plagne area in February and would like some good lessons.

Any ideas?

Mike

Old habits are sometime hard to break, looks like there could be pain ahead

I agree with Ross try to find an English Speaking instructor that has either Basi or CSI (Canadian) qualifications as the principles they work on are more from a coaching perspective as apposed to a lot of the Old school French who think you will learn just from following them around.

If you dont want to have private lessons then maybe a specific course from someone like SNOW Works might be more your thing. These are all Generally BASI Trainers (the instructors instructors) and will run courses aimed at improving specific themes like offpiste however they are all based on personal performance so well help your skiing whatever the course.

Jonah, CSIA

opppps
So when that canadian instructor said he had been carrying out a fingertip search in that girls room last year he wasnt looking for evidence of a murder then?
Silly me.

I would suggest that you go by personal recommendation rather than qualification (hence my suggesting snowgurus).
As in every walk of life there are highly qualified people who are poor teachers and good teachers with very few qualifications.

There isn't a qualifying body in the world that can teach the personality traits that in my opinion most good teachers have in common.

The problem with many ski instructors is that they are much more in love with the idea of being a ski instructor than passing on knowledge.

How do I find a good instructor?

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